The Canada Revenue Agency is citing a recent Vancouver court case involving a tax avoider to reinforce why people should file their tax returns on time.

On March 11 Andrew Winston Simpson pleaded guilty in Robson Square Provincial Court fo failing to file his 2005, 2006 and 2007 personal income tax returns. He was fined $3,000 and given until the end of May to file outstanding returns from 2003 to 2011.

In a statement the CRA said "when taxpayers are convicted of failing to file tax returns, in addition to any fines imposed by the courts, they must still file the returns and pay the full amount of taxes owing, plus interest owed, as well as any civil penalties that may be assessed."

The CRA said people who have not filed tax returns for previous years or who haven't reported all their income can still make voluntary declarations and may not be penalized or prosecuted.

In January Victoria businessman Philip LeSeur was fined in court $8,000 for failing to file a number of business tax returns between 2006 to 2009. He pleaded guilty to failing to file corporate income tax returns and financial information relating to Victoria Prime Steakhouse Ltd., Bear Mountain Village Market Ltd. and Nirvana Land Development Ltd., along with two numbered companies.

Failure to file tax returns also recently snared a would-be B.C. Liberal candidate, Sukh Dhaliwal, a longtime Surrey politician who stepped down after it was revealed he is facing six charges under the Income Tax Act for failing to file corporate tax returns. His case has not yet been resolved.

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